After stopping the girl, police said the attacker struck her several times before knocking her to the ground and beat her until a passer-by intervened. He then fled the scene along Dunville Street.

The incident is believed to have taken place between 4.30pm and 5.45pm. The attacker has been described as 40 years of age and wearing a tan bomber jacket with similar coloured baseball cap, grey tracksuit bottoms and trainers.

A PSNI spokeswoman said the teen has been left traumatised by the ordeal.

Police have appealed for anyone in the area at the time to contact them.